My prayer for each of you this New Year 2018
MAY THE LORD BLESS YOU AND KEEP YOU!
MAY THE LORD LET HIS FACE SHINE UPON YOU, AND BE GRACIOUS TO YOU!
MAY THE LORD LOOK UPON YOU KINDLY AND GIVE YOU PEACE!
BLESSED NEW YEAR!
Prayer for the New Year
On New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day, the
household gathers at the table or at the Christmas tree or manger scene. Many
people make New Year’s Day a day of prayer for peace.
All make the sign of the
cross.
Leader: Let us praise the
Lord of days and seasons and years, saying:
Glory to God in the highest!
R/. And peace to his people on earth!
Leader: Our lives are
made of days and nights, of seasons and years, for we are part of a universe of
suns and moons and planets. We mark ends and we make beginnings and, in all, we
praise God for the grace and mercy that fill our days.
Reader: Listen to the
words of the Book of Genesis:
God said: “Let there be
lights in the dome of the sky, to separate day from night. Let them mark the
fixed times, the days and the years, and serve as luminaries in the dome of the
sky, to shed light upon the earth.” And so it happened: God made the two great
lights, the greater one to govern the day, and the lesser one to govern the
night; and he made the stars. God set them in the dome of the sky, to shed
light upon the earth, to govern the day and the night, and to separate the
light from the darkness. God saw how good it was. Evening came, and morning
followed—the fourth day. The Word of
the Lord.
R/. Thanks be to God.
(After a time of silence,
members of the household offer prayers of thanksgiving for the past year, and
of intercession for the year to come.)
Leader:
Let us now pray for God’s blessing in the New
Year.
(After a short silence,
parents may place their hands on their children in blessing as the leader says:)
Leader: Remember us, O
God;
from age to age be our comforter.
You have given us the wonder of time,
blessings in days and nights, seasons and years.
Bless your children at the turning of the year
and fill the months ahead with the bright hope
that is ours in the coming of Christ.
You are our God, living and reigning, forever and ever.
R/. Amen.
(Another prayer for peace
may be said:)
Leader: Lord, make me an
instrument of your peace:
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.
O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
R/. Amen.
Leader: Let us bless the Lord.
All respond, making the
sign of the cross:
Thanks be to God.
The prayer may conclude
with the singing of a Christmas carol.
“For the Bible the most important thing is not, as it was for
Greek philosophers, that God be loved, but that God
‘loves’ and loved first (cf. 1 John 4:10, 19). God willed the
incarnation of the Son not so much as to have someone
outside the Trinity that would love him worthily as to have
someone to love in a way worthy of him, that is, to love
without measure!
At Christmas, when the child Jesus is born, God the
Father has someone to love in an infinite way because
Jesus is together man and God. But not only Jesus, but us
together with him. We are included in this love, having
become members of the body of Christ, ‘sons in the Son.’
John’s prologue reminds of this: ‘To those who welcomed
him he gave the power to become sons of God.’
Therefore, Christ did descend from heaven ‘for our
salvation,’ but what moved him to come down for our
salvation was love, nothing else but love.” (Fr
Cantalemessa ) When we feel alone and depressed, feel nobody cares, we need to reflect on this mystery of God's love for us. He loves us, not because we have anything to give him, but simply because he chooses to love us. Love is his nature. No matter how much we reflect on this mystery, we will never fully comprehend it. All we can do is accept it and respond to God's love with love: freely given by God, freely received by us and freely returned to God.
Pope Francis: "That’s why at Christmas they exchange gifts. The true gift for us is Jesus, and like him we
want to be a gift for others. And since we want to be a gift
to others, we exchange gifts, as a sign, as a sign of this
attitude that Jesus teaches us: He, sent by the Father, was
a gift for us, and we are gifts for others.” Have we lost the true meaning of exchanging gifts at Christmas? Has it become a commercial obligation and expectation rather than a sign of one's love? Jesus gives himself to us continually, not just once a year. Our gift of self to others in love needs to have the same focus. Not only are we to give gifts but there is a special grace in receiving a gift from another. To receive the gift of Jesus in joy and love is the foundation of our giving gifts to others in love. Let everyday be Christmas: the exchange of gifts between God and us, us and others.
Homily for
the Feast of the Holy Family Year B
Reading 1:
The author of the Book of Sirach builds upon the Fourth Commandment of God:
Honor your father and mother. The basis
for this command is our relationship with God and our relationship with our
parents, who have been given to us by God.
From the
outset the reading identifies the authority of parents over their children as
coming from God. Thus, whatever honor, obedience and respect we show our
parents is ultimately directed to God himself. With this revered respect and
honor for parents come promises of many blessings: atonement of sins, answered
prayer and blest by one’s own children.
This honor
and respect, comfort and care for parents are especially important when they
are old and dependent. Kindness to parents at this stage of their lives will
not be forgotten.
Why does God
give us this direction and admonition? He knows our human frailty and selfishness.
In today’s society aged parents are considered more of a burden than a
blessing. Some feel that euthanasia should be the norm rather than continual
care.
Today’s reading speak against that
attitude of our culture. Instead, it
reminds us that our elderly parents are still a gift from God and a blessing to
nurture, for one day we too may be in the same position. We should remember the adages of Jesus which
apply here. “What you do the least, you do to me.” “The measure which you
measure will be measure back to you.”
Reading 2: Family life and family values are disintegrating.
Living in the fast lane, trying to provide a better life than our parents had,
being under the pressure gun of society have cause much of this disintegration.
Just as it
takes work to have a successful career, it takes work to have a healthy family
life. Paul gives us a rule of family life, which makes sense if we see
ourselves as God’s chosen ones, called to be holy because we are beloved of
God. Let’s do an examination of conscience using this reading.
How
compassionate are we to one another in the family and to others? Is love the
reason why we do what we do? Does Christ’s peace control our hearts or do we
live in anxiety, anger and non-forgiveness? How thankful are we each day for the many
blessings we receive? Do we build each other up in love? Do we consciously try
to do all in the name of Jesus in love?
This passage
is such a powerful plan of life for each person in the family that it could be
reflected and acted on weekly throughout the coming year.
Gospel: A
child is a gift from God. Mary and Joseph received the child, Jesus, as a
special gift. They were obedient to the word of God and had him circumcised eight
days after his birth and brought him to the Temple to dedicate him to God. Have
you dedicated your child back to God, recognizing the gift they are to you?
What do we
hear in the reading? God reminds Mary and Joseph through the prophetic word of
Simeon that because this child is the Messiah of God, he will be a sign of
contradiction and a stumbling block to others. He will suffer. At the same time, even though Mary is the
blessed among women and highly favored daughter of God, she too will suffer. A
sword shall pierce her heart. But know that God’s plan will be accomplished
through obedience to his will both by the Jesus and by Mary.
Mary and
Joseph’s suffering would soon begin. They will have to flee from Herod’s
attempt to kill this child. They will again experience the suffering of anxiety
when Jesus remains in the Temple at the age of 12. Mary’s ultimate suffering
will occur as she stands under the cross and endure the cruel death of her son
at the hands of those he saves.
Every family
experiences their own sufferings. Children make decisions which in turn become
a sword in the hearts of their parents. Parents suffer with and because of
their children. That which sustained Joseph and Mary, namely, relationship with
God in obedience, will sustain today’s family in those moments as well.
Just as God
did not prevent Joseph and Mary from their difficult experiences but was with
them, so God will not prevent today’s families from the unexpected struggles,
but will be with them, giving them the grace to do his will.
"In effect, the message of Jesus is discomforting, and discomforts
us, because it challenges the worldly religious power and
provokes consciences. After His coming, it is necessary for us to
convert, to change our mentality, to reject thinking like
before….Jesus is our mediator, and He reconciles us not only
with the Father, but also with one another. He is the fount of love,
Who opens us to communion with our brothers, removing every
conflict and resentment. Let us ask Jesus, born for us, to help us
to take up this double attitude of confidence in the Father and of
love for our neighbor; it is this attitude that transforms life and
makes it more beautiful and fruitful." (Pope Francis) The message of Jesus is simple, straightforward, transforming and renewing. At the same time, it challenges our culturally-learned behavior, from a focus of individualism to the needs of others, not for self-gain but for love. This is the Christmas message and the Easter message.
"Awake, mankind! For your sake God has become man. Awake, you who sleep, rise up from the dead, and Christ will enlighten you. I tell you again: for your sake, God became man. You would have suffered eternal death, had he not been born in time. Never would you have been freed from sinful flesh, had he not taken on himself the likeness of sinful flesh. You would have suffered everlasting unhappiness, had it not been for this mercy. You would never have returned to life, had he not shared your death. You would have been lost if he had not hastened ‘to your aid. You would have perished, had he not come." (St Augustine) The mystery of the importance of Jesus' birth! This mystery is summed up with the one word, Love. As we read in John 3:16: "God so loved the world that he gave us his only begotten Son, so that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life." The mysterious love of God has become visible and manifested in the mystery of the Word becoming " flesh and dwelling among us." The only adequate response on our part is acceptance and love.
CHRISTMAS IS A GIFT OF LOVE AND THAT LOVE IS A PERSON, JESUS.
CHRISTMAS IS A RESPONSE TO THAT LOVE, AND THAT RESPONSE IS OUR SELF-GIFT TO GOD.
THANK YOU, JESUS, FOR BOTH!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
"In our time, what is lacking is not so much the courage to ask this question as the courage to expect an answer…We may at times be able to show the world Christ in moments when all can clearly discern in history, some confirmation of the Christian message. But the fact remains that our task is to seek and find Christ in our world as it is, and not as it might be. The fact that the world is other than it might be does not alter the truth that Christ is present in it and that His plan has been neither frustrated nor changed: indeed, all will be done according to His will. Our Advent is a celebration of this hope." (Thomas Merton) This hope is Christ has come and will come again. Our hope is that in the words of John the Baptist: "There is one among you whose sandals I am not worthy to untie."
Our challenge as disciples of Jesus is to see these signs of his presence in our midst, in the messiness of the stable, in the killing of the innocent children by Herod, in the midst of the corruption in our country, in the midst of the drug culture, etc. Sometimes we allow the fog to obscure the reality within. Like Michelangelo we need to have the inner capacity to see the statue of David in the flawed marble slab that others discarded. In doing this, we will see the Christ when others only saw a crying baby.
Homily
Fourth Sunday of Advent Year B
Reading 1:
Did you ever had a good or even a great idea but found out it wasn’t God’s plan
for you? This happened to King David. Once he had established his kingdom in
peace and security, he found himself living in a luxurious house fit for a king.
But he realized that the Ark of the Covenant, God’s presence with his people,
was housed in a tent. He felt that this
was not a proper dwelling place for God. So he decided that he would build a
suitable Temple to honor God.
Great idea,
David. But you acted independent of God to do what you wanted to do, to further
your renown. But God, through the
prophet Nathan tells David basically thanks, but no thanks.
David is
reminded of all that God had done for him, since he was anointed by Samuel the
prophet. It was God who enable David to defeat his enemies.
Now, God
reveals his plan to David. He says: “I will make your dynasty, kingdom, house
renown forever. A descendant from you will be king forever. Instead of you
taking on this worthy project, your son, Solomon, will build a temple in my
honor.”
In David’s
mind he was envisioning a political Kingdom that would last forever. God’s plan
was for a spiritual, eternal kingdom. In this God revealed to David and to
future generations the coming of a future Messiah-King, who would rule forever.
Human kingdoms will come and go. God’s Kingdom will be forever. We know that
Jesus is this future king as we will heard in the Gospel.
David
submitted to the plan of God without seeing its fulfillment. Can we submit to
the plan of God for us without seeing it fully unfold?
Gospel: Mary
had her own plans. She was betrothed to Joseph. She was an unknown girl living
in an unknown village like her parents and ancestors before her. Her plans were
to remain as such. But God had other plans for her.
God had
prepared her from all eternity to be the human vessel, the human mother for the
Word to take flesh and become man. He conceived her free from sin so that the
very vessel of preparation would be inviolate. Mary was not aware of this
grace.
While David
heard the plan of God through a prophet, God reveals to Mary his plan through
an angel.
The greeting
of Gabriel was disturbing, but she became more perplexed by what followed: God’s
plan was that she would conceive and bear the Son of the Most High God, who
would fulfill the prophecy of Nathan to David.
Her own plans flashed through her mind.
Knowing this
the angel explained further. Mary would
conceive this son not by the natural human process but by the power of the Holy
Spirit. The child to be born is the holy one, the Son of God.
Then to
confirm the message and the extraordinary power of God, Gabriel reveals that
her elderly, barren cousin Elizabeth is with child. Nothing is impossible for
God.
Mary’s own
response was an act of surrender and obedience to the will of God without
understanding. “Let it be done according to your word.”
God may not
reveal his plans for us that dramatically as he did to David and to Mary, but
as we come into awareness of his plans will we say yes like David and Mary and
eventually Joseph? Or will we seek to do our own will instead. The rebellion of
Israel and the consequences they suffered should be a witness to us. We may not
heed to the word of God but his plan will be fulfilled with or without us.
Reading 2: Paul reminds us that the strength to embrace
and accomplish the plan of God comes from God.
Once we say yes to his plan for us, God desires to be our strength, our
all in all. This is what God commands; this is what the prophets of old stated,
what Jesus and the apostles reveal to us, so that through the obedience of
faith we will be able to accomplish the will of God in our lives. What seems
impossible to us is not impossible to God.
St. Bernard: "In the first coming Jesus was seen on earth, dwelling among men; he himself testifies that they saw him and hated him. In the final coming all flesh will see the salvation of our God, and they will look on him whom they pierced. The intermediate coming is a hidden one; in it only the elect see the Lord within their own selves, and they are saved. In his first coming our Lord came in our flesh and in our weakness; in this middle coming he comes in spirit and in power; in the final coming he will be seen in glory and majesty." It is this intermediate coming that we need to be attentive to in the present moment. In his first coming, there was "no room in the inn" of many hearts. So it is today. Christmas is no longer the celebration of his birth but a commercial, winter holiday. Only the ones, expecting his first coming and were preparing for it, were able to receive him. So it is today. He comes to those who desire him and are open to him. He comes to those who open their heart when he knocks. To the others, he passes by. Harken to his knock. Harken to his voice. And receive the joy of your hearts.
Fourth Sunday of Advent: Gospel B
The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin's name was Mary.
The people of Galilee were looked down upon by the people of Jerusalem and Judea. Nazareth was one of the insignificant communities in Galilee. And yet, God chooses someone from this "hole in the wall" to be the Mother of the Messiah. God’s ways are not human ways.
The fact that she is betrothed means that in those days she is still quite young, still living with her parents, but expecting to be married within the year. Normally, betrothal lasted a year before the time her betrothed would come to take her to his house for the wedding night. And coming to her, he said, "Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you." But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
How has God unexpectedly broken into your life in the past? What was your response?
Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end."
From the beginning of Luke’s Gospel, Jesus is identified as Savior (the meaning of "Jesus"); as Son of the Most High; as the Son of David; as King.
But Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?"
It will make more sense if we read the angel saying, "you have conceived already" as a given fact. This makes Mary’s response more understandable.
Mary is still thinking from a human point of view: the natural way a child is conceived is between a man and a woman. And the angel said to her in reply, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.
The angel reveals that the conception will take place through the miraculous work of God through the power of the Holy Spirit and not through man.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God."
As a confirmation of what God’s mighty power can do, Mary is told about Elizabeth’s conception in her old age.
Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word." Then the angel departed from her.
Are you able to have the same attitude to God’s plan when you don’t understand it? Are you able to totally surrender to the will of God, no matter the consequences.
Pope Francis: “Joy, prayer and gratitude are three attitudes that prepare us to live Christmas in an authentic way.” Joy is a result of an expectation of the coming of Jesus in a fresh new way into our lives. When Jesus comes in the present moment, he will bring a greater light in the area of darkness. The prayer that is most important in this expectation is "Come, Lord Jesus, come." This prayer helps us to focus our expectation on the true meaning of Christmas. Finally, gratitude is the response to all that God has already done in our lives and an anticipated response to what his coming in the present will bring about in us. Joy, prayer and gratitude are better than stress, frustration and disappointment.
Advent is a time of preparation for the joyful meaning of Christmas: the birth of Jesus the Christ, our Savior. What is joy? “Joy is prayer -- joy is strength -- joy is love -- joy is a net of love. . . A joyful heart is the normal result of a heart burning with love . . . loving as He loves, helping as He helps, giving as He gives, serving as He serves, rescuing as He rescues, being with Him twenty-four hours, touching Him in His distressing disguise.” (St. Teresa of Calcutta) This joy is an intentional attitude of the heart that keeps the reason for the season in the forefront of one's mind. That God so loved the world that he gave us his only Son to be our Savior is reason to be joyful. That through his death and resurrection we have been saved is reason for joy. That we share in his divine life and are Temples of the Holy Spirit should give us great and lasting joy. Don't let the details and the busyness of this week deprive you of the true joy of the moment.
Christmas Novena Prayers
Opening Prayer
O Lord, Word
of God, You, whose glory is complete, came to us in perfect humility as a child
in the womb. Your love for us and humility is unsurpassed and brings us to our
knees in prayer and worship.
Your
incarnation forever changed the world.
All Glory be
to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning
is now and forever shall be, world without end.
Amen.
December 17
O Wisdom of our God Most High, guiding creation with
power and love: come to teach us the path of knowledge!
December 18
O Leader of the House of Israel, giver of the Law to
Moses on Sinai: come to rescue us with your mighty power!
December 19
O Root of Jesse’s stem, sign of God’s love for all his
people: come to save us without delay!
December 20
O Key of David, opening the gates of God’s eternal
Kingdom: come and free the prisoners of darkness!
December 21
O Radiant Dawn, splendor of eternal light, sun of
justice: come and shine on those who dwell in darkness and in the
shadow of death.
December 22
O King of all nations and keystone of the Church: come
and save man, whom you formed from the dust!
December 23
O Emmanuel, our King and Giver of Law: come to save us,
Lord our God!
Concluding Prayer every Day
Let us pray:
Hail, and blessed be the hour and moment at which the Son
of God was born of a most pure Virgin, at a stable at midnight in Bethlehem. I
implore you, Lord, to hear my prayers and grant my desires.
(Mention request(s) here)
We offer this prayer to you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit
through the intercession of Mary and St. Joseph. Amen.
Pope Francis during this Advent season has been reflecting on the theme of hope. He reminds us that “because God, with His love, journeys with us, He does not leave us alone, and the Lord Jesus has overcome evil, and opened up the path of life.” What is hope? It is not living in the future but in the present moment with the assurance of God's plan for us in the future. That assurance is based on the truth of faith that God loves us and is Emmanuel (God is with us). If we can embrace the mystery of each day with the hope of this reality, then the present moment is not difficult. Though the reality of God's personal love for us should be a given, many of us struggle with embracing this fully. That is why God became Man to demonstrate in a tangible and visible way the depth of God's unconditional love through his death on the cross for our sins. Our hope is in him who promises eternal life to his true disciples. This Advent, ask God for an increase of hope in the reality of his love for us and of his promises.
The more we fall in love with God the more we want to get rid of all sin in our lives, especially the habitual sins. That doesn't say we will never sin again, but sin will not be rooted. Love does not nurture sin, rather it is the destruction of sin.
I must know beyond the shadow of a doubt that God loves me. I must choose to love God in return so that in the power of the love I can deal with the roots of sin in my life, no matter how long it takes.
However, it is not enough to get rid of the root of sin; we must put on the mind of Christ. "Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, so that you may judge what is God's will, what is good, pleasing and perfect" (Rom 12:2) This too is a process that is not fully completed until we see God face to face.
Homily for
Third Sunday of Advent Year B
Reading 1:
There are two parts to this prophetic word from Isaiah. The first part we are
familiar with. It is a reference concerning the future messiah. This prophetic
statement Jesus applied to himself as to what happened to him when he was
baptized. The Spirit of the Lord came upon him and anointed him to do a
ministry of preaching, healing and setting captives free. After his baptism and after his temptation in
the desert, Jesus returned to Galilee and began preaching. He later returns to
Nazareth his home town and enters the synagogue on the Sabbath. There they
asked him to do the reading. He chooses this passage from Isaiah. Afterwards,
he simply stated that this message was now fulfilled in their hearing. In other
words, he was the one Isaiah was speaking about.
The second
part of the prophecy reflects Jesus response to the prophetic word, namely, “I
rejoice heartily in the Lord, in my God is the joy of my soul.” It should also
be the response we make to what Jesus has done for each of us through his life,
death, resurrection and the sending of the Spirit upon us. We received the gift and the gifts of the Holy
Spirit in Baptism and a fresh anointing and empowering in Confirmation.
Like Jesus, we are to rejoice in the Lord, who
is the source of our joy. For God, in
wrapping his mantle of justice around us, has shared his own divine life with
us. We are his adopted sons and daughters, called to share in his life and
glory forever.
Gospel: The
same Spirit that Isaiah prophesied about was upon John the Baptist. It was a
prophetic spirit, which he did not quench. Instead, John witnessed and gave
testimony about the immediate coming of the promised Messiah that Isaiah and
other prophets had spoken of.
In his
prophetic ministry, John was sent to prepare and identify the Messiah. He knew
this. So when he was questioned about his own identity and mission, John was
very clear. He was not the Messiah, but only the voice preparing the way for
the actual coming of the Messiah. John knew that his baptism of repentance for
the forgiveness of sin was a preparation for the real baptism with water and
the Spirit that the Messiah will call people into.
As we hear
the message of John today, what do we think he is saying to us? Is he showing
us what we should be doing? What is that? First, we are to recognize that the
Spirit of God has anointed us in Confirmation to be witnesses of Jesus, the
light of the world. Secondly, we are to testify to him so that others may be so
convicted by this message of truth and follow Jesus in the way of holiness and
prophetic witnessing.
Reading 2: While
the first reading prepared the people for the future coming of the Messiah,
today’s second reading focuses us on the future, second coming of Jesus in
glory. How are we to prepare? Paul picks up the theme of rejoicing from
Isaiah. He urges us to always rejoice. Are we a people of joy? As Christians, do we, in the words of Pope
Francis, look like people coming from a funeral rather than from seeing the
resurrection?
Paul says,
pray without ceasing. This means to be in an attitude of prayer throughout our
day and be aware that we are in the presence of God and act accordingly. Is
that our attitude?
We are
called to give thanks in all circumstances. How grateful are we throughout our
day for even small things?
Isaiah said
that the Spirit of the Lord is upon us and has anointed us. Paul says that we
should not stifle the work of the Spirit.
Last Sunday,
we were told that God has called us to be holy and blameless in his sight. Paul
says that it is the grace given to each of us by God to be holy and blameless,
as we prepare for the coming of Jesus in this present moment of our lives. How
attentive and responsive are we to this grace?
Sometimes we are not ready to give up a sin. We say to the Lord what St. Augustine said to him: "Soon, Lord, but not now." We are afraid that we can't live without the momentary pleasure we get from this particular sin or we don't think we have the strength and will power to do so. We fail to realize that on our own we can't. But in Christ we can do all things.
Paul reminded us of his own struggle and breakthrough. "The desire to do right is there but not the power. I do, not the good I will to do, but the evil I do not intend....There is a law of sin within me. What a wretched man I am! Who can free me from this body under the power of death? All praise to God, through Jesus Christ our Lord!"
Jesus has already won the victory through his death and resurrection. I need to learn how to turn to him in dealing with every habitual sin. In surrendering myself to his control, I release to him the very sin I find hard to give up. I choose instead to say and mean: "Jesus, I love you." I love you more than this sin. I offer this desire and weakness to you as a sacrifice of love.
Third Sunday of Advent: Gospel B
A man named John was sent from God. He came for testimony, to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to testify to the light.
John the Baptist was sent from God to give witness about Jesus, the Light of the world. In John’s case, this testimony was not only by words. He gave his life as well.
To what extent are we the reflection of Jesus to others, testifying to the Light?
And this is the testimony of John. When the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites (to him) to ask him, "Who are you?" he admitted and did not deny it, but admitted, "I am not the Messiah."
The people for centuries had been waiting for the Messiah. When John begins to preach and attract people to himself, some of them began to speak of him as the Messiah.
John knew who he was and who he was not. He embraced his true identity
So they asked him, "What are you then? Are you Elijah?"
There was some speculation that Elijah would come back before the Messiah. Even though he denies this, Jesus later on will affirm that John came in the spirit of Elijah.
Jesus also was compared to Elijah in Matt 16.
And he said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" He answered, "No."
This refers to the prophet promised by Moses in Deut 18:15, 18.
Jesus also was compared to the prophet in Matt 16.
So they said to him, "Who are you, so we can give an answer to those who sent us? What do you have to say for yourself?" He said: "I am 'the voice of one crying out in the desert, "Make straight the way of the Lord,"' as Isaiah the prophet said."
John sees himself as the forerunner or precursor of the Messiah. His self-identity was clear.
Is our self-identity in Christ likewise clear?
Some Pharisees were also sent. They asked him, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah or Elijah or the Prophet?" John answered them, "I baptize with water; but there is one among you whom you do not recognize, the one who is coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie." This happened in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
How often do you give witness about Jesus to others?
What concrete actions do you feel that this gospel is asking you to do in your life?
When we are looking at the roots of sin, we are talking about the grace of healing of memories. A person may be struggling with anger not as an occasional sin but as a core sin in life. Each time we go to confession we confess the sin of anger. We never ask the question what is the root of my anger? We never ask God to lead us to the root or source. If we do and find that a certain person was the source of anger, then we need to bring this to the Lord.
Sometimes when God shows us the "thorn in the flesh" it is for us to realize that we can't of ourselves do anything, except cry out to God. God will not remove it before we deal with it in our weakness. We have refused to forgive, we have held on to the situation, either out of guilt or needing to hold the other under some control. We have exercised power, now we need in our weakness to forgive. "My grace is enough for you, for in weakness power reaches perfection." "And so I willingly boast of my weaknesses instead, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." (2 Cor 12: 9) I my weakness I refuse to forgive, but in the power of Christ I can and choose to forgive.
Process: Go with Jesus into the past. What are the memories which are scared and painful, memories we have suppressed over the years because of the pain attached to them. When we get to a particular painful memory, we need not relive it but get in touch with it momentarily in the presence of Jesus. We need to forgive the person who may have been the source of the anger; we need to ask that person's forgiveness; we may need to forgive ourselves. Remember forgiveness to be authentic must come from the heart. Also forgiveness is not for the sake of the other, but for our sake. We are the ones under the bondage of anger. Once we have forgiven from the heart, then we need to bring that painful memory and place it at the foot of the cross, believing that Jesus died for all sin and guilt. Then, leaving the memory there, we are to walk away. As we do we will find Jesus on the road waiting to embrace and heal us with his love.
Dealing with the roots of sin.
1. There must be a sincere desire to recognize sin as sin and to have a horror of sin, to see sin as God sees sin. Without this desire we will live with sin the way we live with other harmful things in our life. We sometimes justify our lack of dealing with sin by accepting sin as a normal part of our fallen nature. Or we feel that what we are doing is really not that bad. It is like a diabetic saying a little sugar is not that bad, failing to see that a little sugar added to a little sugar could lead to disastrous consequences.
We need to ask God to see sin from his perspective. To him every sin, no matter grave or not, is an abomination and an affront to his love for us and the sharing of his life. Like Adam and Eve every sin causes us to see ourselves naked and to hide ourselves from God. Sin affects our relationship with God as his adopted sons and daughters. We become prodigal and alienated from him by choice. As such it affects our self-identity and self understanding. The more we remain in sin, the more this becomes negative.
Information
Women's December Mass
Saturday, December 9, 2017
Bishop's House
107 Albany Dr.
Houma, La.
Bring a friend.
Fellowship afterwards.
Dom Gueranger writes, "This truth of Mary's Immaculate Conception—which was revealed to the Apostles by the Divine Son of Mary, inherited by the Church, taught by the holy fathers, believed by each generation of the Christian people with an ever increasing explicitness—was implied in the very notion of a Mother of God. To believe that Mary was Mother of God, was implicitly to believe that she, on whom this sublime dignity was conferred, had never been defiled with the slightest stain of sin, and that God had bestowed upon her an absolute exemption from sin." This was the first grace God gave Mary, her Immaculate Conception. The second major grace was her vocation to be the Mother of the Savior. The third major grace was that she would remain a Virgin, since it is the power of the Holy Spirit that will overshadow her. Her response, without fully understanding the mystery taking place, was a simple but total yes to God's will. The first major grace God gave us was to be reconciled to himself through the death and resurrection of Jesus in the waters of Baptism. Even though we have sinned many times since, God forgives us and restores us to himself. Like Mary, without understanding this mystery of love, our response is also a simple but total yes to God's will in our lives.
"My Father and I will come and make our home with him. Let your door stand open to receive him, unlock your soul to him, offer him a welcome in your mind, and then you will see the riches of simplicity, the treasures of peace, the joy of grace. Throw wide the gate of your heart, stand before the sun of the everlasting light that shines on every man. This true light shines on all, but if anyone closes his window he will deprive himself of eternal light. If you shut the door of your mind, you shut out Christ. Though he can enter, he does not want to force his way in rudely, or compel us to admit him against our will." (St. Ambrose) As we prepare for the celebration of Christmas and the remembrance of Jesus's birth, we need to attend to the words of St. Ambrose more keenly. Advent is a time to be more attentive to the desire of God to "come and make" his home with us. That is why we hear again the Baptist's cry: "Prepare the way of the Lord." The more we can open ourselves to the deeper coming of the Lord, the more we will be able to receive from the Lord when he comes anew. "Come, Lord Jesus, come!"
Homily
Second Sunday of Advent Year B
Reading 1:
The prophetic words of Isaiah are spoken to the Jewish exiles in Babylon and to
the remnant left in Jerusalem. To the former, Isaiah says that the seventy
years of their exile from Jerusalem is about to end. Just as God delivered his
people from their bondage in Egypt, so God will again deliver those in exile.
But there will be a difference between the two manifestations of God’s power
and mercy.
Because of their ancestors’ hardness of heart
and rebellion against God, it took them 40 years wandering in the desert,
before they could enter into the Promised Land. However, the return of the Babylonian exiles
will be swift. God will lead them directly, because their time in exile had
been a time of great cleansing. Just as the exiles from Egypt saw the glory of
God but still rebelled, the exiles from Babylon will see the glory of God and
rejoice.
Then the
prophet speaks to the remnant left in Jerusalem. They are to be prepared to
welcome the returning exiles and to proclaim the power of God to save and
redeem.
Like the
Shepherd guiding his sheep back home, so God will bring back his people. They
were to prepare the way of the Lord in their hearts. So too must we do the same
during these days of preparation for the celebration of the first coming of
Jesus.
Last Sunday,
we heard: Be watchful and alert. Today, we are to make ready in our lives for
the new coming of Jesus in the present moment in our lives. St. John Paul II
stated that Advent was a time of watchfulness, prayer and deeper conversion.
Gospel:
Matthew picks up the theme from Isaiah: Prepare the way of the Lord. John the
Baptist was the one who used this theme in his proclamation, calling the people
of his day to expect the coming of the promised Messiah. First, he declares
that the Lord is near. Secondly, he shows the people how they are to prepare:
by repentance of sin. Thirdly, they are to demonstrate their decision to repent
through the external sign of baptism. Fourthly, he pointed out that the one to
come is greater than he. John was only the voice. Fifthly, while John was
baptizing with water, the one to come will baptize with the Holy Spirit.
The message
of John is just as relevant today as it was then. We are called to prepare the
way as the Lord comes to us in a fresh, new way at this time. How are we to
prepare? Repentance of sin through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. This call
for repentance was the same inaugural message of Jesus when he began preaching.
“Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand. This was the message of Peter to
the crowds on Pentecost. Repent and turn away from your sins. While baptism was
the external sign proclaimed by John, the Sacrament of Reconciliation is the
external sign of the new interior reality for us.
We were
baptized with water and the Holy Spirit in the Sacrament of regeneration:
Baptism. We were anointed with the fire of the Holy Spirit in Confirmation.
During this season of Advent, we pray that Jesus will come in the present
moment to stir into flame the life of the Holy Spirit. First of all that we may have a greater
desire for a deeper union with God by growing in holiness. Secondly, that a
greater desire to witness to others in the power of the Holy Spirit the good
news of God’s love in and for us. We are to take up the prophetic mantle of
Isaiah, John, Jesus and Peter, continuing the work of God by first preparing
the way of the Lord in our own hearts and then preparing the way of the Lord in
the hearts of others.
Reading 2:
Peter reminds us of the preparation needed for the final coming of Jesus in
glory. He answers a question raised in
his day about the timing of this coming.
He says that just as repentance was necessary to prepare for his first
coming in fact and in our own personal lives, so repentance is needed as we
prepare for his final coming. This is a time of mercy.
While
repentance is an ongoing response, we should also “conduct yourselves in
holiness and devotion.” Holiness is not doing extraordinary things, but in
doing all things in love, obedient to the will of God. It is a choice to respond to the grace of God
in the present moment. During this
Advent season, God desires to come to us anew.
Do we desire to receive him anew? What in our lives block his coming?
Prepare the way of the Lord.
The purpose of each of these oases of deep spiritual springs in the desert journey is to enable us to confront sin in our lives. It is only when we are ready to let go control of this area of our life, to allow God through his power to crush the hardness of our heart, to yield to the Lord's timing and process, that a break through can take place and we can be transported to new spiritual heights. Only then can the desert journey end for the time being until God calls us once more to grow into greater holiness.
It is God who leads us into the desert. Listen to the words of the prophet Hosea concerning the infidelity of Israel: "So I will allure her, I will lead her into the desert and speak to her heart" (Hosea 2:16). And when we are ready to respond to the Lord again with our whole heart, it is God who leads us out of the desert. Again, listen to the joyful words of God through the mouth of the same prophet: "I will espouse you to me forever; I will espouse you in right and in justice, in love and in mercy; I will espouse you in fidelity, and you shall know the Lord....I will say...'You are my people,' and (you) shall say, 'My God.'" (Hosea 2: 21-22, 25)
Second Sunday of Advent: Gospel B
The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God.
From the beginning Mark summarizes his whole gospel with these titles: Jesus is the "Christ" (Messiah) and the Son of God. The fact of this faith revelation is what he will attempt to show.
As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: "Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way. A voice of one crying out in the desert: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.'"
To emphasize the first title, Messiah, Mark begins with the prophetic message of Isaiah about the one who would come before the Messiah.
John (the) Baptist appeared in the desert proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
Notice that unlike Matthew and Luke, Mark does not begin with the early life of Jesus, but with the public ministry of John the Baptist which leads to Jesus’ public ministry.
John is seen as the bridge between the Old and New Testaments.
He invites the people to prepare for the coming of the Messiah by repentance for their sins, showing a change of heart and a readiness to receive the Messiah. Through this act they will be renewing the Covenant.
As you prepare to celebrate the memorial of Jesus’ birth, how are you preparing to receive him in a new way?
What are you doing to renew your covenant relationship with God?
People of the whole Judean countryside and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they acknowledged their sins.
At first, people looked to John as the "Messiah." This John rejects.
When was the last time we received the Sacrament of Reconciliation to acknowledge our sins?
John was clothed in camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist.
John’s dress and diet links him to another prophet, Elijah. Jesus will remind people of this connection later on in his own ministry.
He fed on locusts and wild honey. And this is what he proclaimed: "One mightier than I is coming after me. I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; he will baptize you with the holy Spirit."
John’s baptism was a penitential rite that reflected the person’s decision to repent of sin and expect the Messiah.
Jesus’ baptism brings about a radical transformation by the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. Sin is forgiven and the person is a new creation as a child of God.
What does it mean to you personally that Jesus, the Son of God, came into this world? How has your life been changed within the past year because of Jesus?
What areas of repentance of sins are needed in your life now?
What does it mean to be baptized in the Holy Spirit? When were you? How conscious of the lead of the Holy Spirit are you?
One of the oasis which seems the strangest in our journey is the one where God reminds us that we must learn to live in the present moment and not in the past or the future. For it is only in the present moment that we are can respond to the call to serve the other. It is in this present moment we are invited by God not to focus on our own struggle and need but on the need of the other, to die to self and to be life-giving to another. Like the other oases, we do not understand God's ways. Helping another, reaching out unconditionally, loving when we feel unloved and incapable of loving anyone, seem to be not what is needed at the moment in our life. And yet Jesus insists that this is indeed important. "I solemnly assure you, unless the grain of wheat falls to the earth and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat. But if it dies, it produces much fruit. The man who loves his life loses it, while the man who hates his life in this world preserves it to life eternal. If anyone would serve me, let him follow me, where I am, there will my servant be. If anyone serves me, him the Father will honor" (John 12:24-27).
For the Israelites the Mount of Sinai was another oasis. Here God called the people to enter into a new covenant with him, a covenant-life based on the Decalogue, the Ten Commandments. These commandments were the basis of their relationship with God and with neighbor, a relationship of love.
Instead the people chose to make a god that they could fashion and control: their golden calf. They chose a no-god over the only God. They bowed down before a god who would not chastise them or correct them, a god who would be blind and deaf to their debauchery. But in fact, they sold themselves back into slavery and bondage to Satan, the pseudo-god who would exact everything from them, including life itself.
The Word of God serves as another place of rest and refurbishing. Recall the words of Paul to Timothy: "You have known the sacred Scriptures, the source of the wisdom which through faith in Jesus Christ leads to salvation. All Scripture is inspired of God and is useful for teaching--for reproof, correction, and training in holiness, so that the man of God may be fully competent and equipped for every good work"(2 Tim 3:15-17).
Even though the words found in the scripture also seem to have no meaning for us at the time we are in the spiritual desert, by faithfully immersing ourselves in the Word, we will fortify ourselves for the journey ahead. The scriptures help us keep our eyes and heart fixed upon the Lord who we still see only in faith. With Paul we can attest: "We do not fix our gaze on what is seen but on what is unseen. What is seen is transitory; what is unseen lasts forever....We walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Cor. 4:17-18; 5:7).
Prayers
for Lighting the Advent Wreath Candles by William G. Storey
First
Week
All-powerful
God, increase our strength of will for doing good that Christ may find an eager
welcome at his coming and call us to his side in the kingdom of heaven, where
he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit one God, forever and ever. Amen.
Second
Week
God
of power and mercy open our hearts in welcome. Remove the things that hinder us
from receiving Christ with joy so that we may share his wisdom and become one
with him when he comes in glory, for he lives and reigns with you and the Holy
Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.
Third
Week
Lord
God, may we, your people, who look forward to the birthday of Christ experience
the joy of salvation and celebrate that feast with love and thanksgiving. We
ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Fourth
Week
Father,
all-powerful God, your eternal Word took flesh on our earth when the Virgin
Mary placed her life at the service of your plan. Lift our minds in watchful
hope to hear the voice which announces his glory and open our minds to receive
the Spirit who prepares us for his coming. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
As a way of helping us confront sin, God leads us to a number of oases during our journey, places where we find deep springs. These are not meant to be final resting places, but aids on the journey. What are these oases? God feeds us, not with manna which lasts for one day, but the Bread of Life, the Eucharist, our life-giving food for the spiritual journey. How often have we taken this gift for granted or treated it as something mundane and ordinary? How often have we failed to recall the words of Jesus in the Gospel? "I myself am the living bread come down from heaven. If anyone eats this bread he shall live forever; the bread I will give is my flesh for the life of the world....Let me solemnly assure you, he who feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has life eternal and I will raise him up on the last day" (John 6:51-54). If we understood the gift, we will yearn and hunger for this gift daily. Even if we feel nothing during the moments following the reception of Eucharist, being grateful and consciously present to the sacramental presence of God within us in faith will be like a source of energy and strength working unseen within us. Without this Bread of Life we will surely die in the desert.
The Israelites experienced the gift of water from the rock when they complained that they were dying of thirst in the desert. We experience many graces on our journey, graces which we seem unaware of because they seem so ordinary or so expected. Because they are graces for and of the moment and not the once-in-the -lifetime, extraordinary graces we take very little notice. But again without these graces--unmerited favors from God--we would not be able to survive the journey ahead.
